As B2B customers demand more from their products and services, they are also seeking enhanced engagement from marketers during the buying process.

According to “The State of Engagement” report from Marketo, three out of four B2B customers think brands must have a deep understanding of their needs in order to successfully engage them.

The leading reason why customers have limited engagement with B2B companies is because marketers are sending them too much irrelevant content (34 percent). Other obstacles include a lack of interest from customers (31 percent) and failure to offer anything outside of products and services (29 percent).

“In the engagement economy, consumers expect more from brands, and it’s up to marketers to provide value and connection at every engagement point,” said Karen Steele, group vice president of corporate marketing at Marketo. “‘The State of Engagement’ proves that marketers must align their organizations around this common goal and focus on the right tools, data, and insights to ensure success.”

On average, marketers are using six different channels to engage their customers. About 85 percent of respondents said they provide a consistent experience across all channels. Marketers most frequently turn to email (79 percent), website (60 percent), social media (35 percent) and chat (28 percent) to initiate engagement with their customers.

B2B Marketers Eye Customer Experience Demands

Previous research has shown that B2B marketers are growing to understand the demand for more enhanced customer experiences.

In “The Complexities of B2B Sales Require Thinking Beyond Today’s CPQ” study from by Forrester Consulting and FPX, 70 percent of B2B firms said their customers now have higher expectations for their buying experiences than they did in the past. In addition, 62 percent of respondents believe that customers also want a more convenient purchasing process.

Overall, 68 percent stated that it is “very important” to deliver a consistent, high-quality customer experience.

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KoMarketing industry news provides the latest information, news, and trends in online marketing for B2B marketers. We emphasize all facets of B2B demand generation including search, social media, content marketing, email, and marketing technology among other key categories and topics.

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